Tissue sterilizing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Tissue sterilizing apparatus comprises a container for storing the tissue therein and means for dispensing tissue from the container, with means communicating with the container for sterilizing the tissue, said communicating means including a source of a sterilizing gas and means to selectively permit or prevent entry of said gas to said container.

United States Patent [1 1 Marrapodi 14 1 Nov. 18, 1975 1 TISSUE STERILIZING APPARATUS [76] Inventor; Ernest John Marrapodi, 4930 Space Coast Parkway, Kissimmee, Fla. 32741 221 Filed: Jan. 7, 1974 [21] App]. No.: 431,217

[52] US. Cl 21/76; 21/58; 21/74 R; 21/81; 21/109 [51] Int. Cl? A61L 3/00; A61L 9/04; A61L 13/02 [58] Field of Search 21/81, 58, 109, 76, 2, 21/84, 119, 74 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,075,047 10/1913 McDonald 21/81 2,141,314 12/1938 Pfleger et a1 21/109 2,440,974 5/1948 Resch 21/76 4/1963 Kamen 21/81 X Walker 21/109 3,110,974 11/1963 Paullus et a1. 21/81 3,112,631 12/1963 Gordon..... 21/81 3,192,008 6/1965 Dwycr 21/81 3,310,364 3/196'7 Rijssenbeek 21/2 3,661,323 5/1972 Farris 21/74 R 3,694,146 9/1972 Roy et a1. 21/119 Primary ExaminerBarry S. Richman Assistant E.\'aminerDa1e Lovercheck Attorney, Agent, or FirmDuckworth, Hobby & Allen [57] ABSTRACT Tissue sterilizingapparatus comprises a container for storing the tissue therein and means for dispensing tissue from the container, with means communicating with the container for sterilizing the tissue, said communicating means including a source of a sterilizing gas and means to selectively permit or prevent entry of said gas to said container.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Ill IIIII TISSL'E STERILIZING'A'PPARATIIS BACKGROUND OF-TI-IE 'iNv r o Paper product dispensers in public rest rooms, such as are employed for toilet tissues and similar articles, have not heretofore provided means for sterilizing the tissue in the dispenser. As a result, serious infections are frequently transmitted between users of such facilities.

The prior art contains a variety of methods and apparatus for sterilizing paper products as well as other nonconsumable items. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,364, Rijssenbeek discloses a process for treating paper pulp with formaldehyde in order to render the end paper product useful for sterilized items, such as paper bandages and the like.

Additionally, the prior art discloses a wide variety of enclosed containers which are adapted to sterilize articles therein. The following U.S. patents exemplify such arrangements: U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,146 to Roy et a1; U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,918 to Ray; U.S. Pat. No. 3,096,148 to Walker; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,117,832 to Thomas. Other arrangements of this nature are disclosed in U.S. Patent Office Class 21, among others. Generally, however, these arrangements do not make provision for the simultaneous dispensing of the article during the sterilization process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention contemplates tissue sterilizing apparatus comprising a container for storing the tissue therein, means for dispensing the tissue from the container and means communicating with the container for sterilizing the tissue. Preferably, the dispensing means allows the tissue to be dispensed during the sterilization process.

THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in cross section of tissue sterilizing apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus in FIG. 1, taken across the line 2-2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION An embodiment of tissue sterilizing apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Noting FIG. 2, the apparatus, referred to generally as 10, comprises a container 12 formed of two sections 14 and 16 hingedly joined together at 18. Each hinge section 14, 16 includes opposed slots 17, 19, respectively, in which a shaft 20 is suspended. The shaft 20 supports a roll of tissue paper 22.

A ratchet wheel 24 is mounted on the shaft 20 in the interior of the container 12 and is engaged by a pawl 26 mounted on the interior of the container section 16 by a plate 28.

A wall portion 32 of the first container section 14 includes a dispensing slot 30 therein. The wall portion 32 includes beveled lips 34, 36 extending normal thereto and separated a distance sufficient to allow the thickness of .thetissue ,to pass and exit the slot 30. Preferably, the wall portion 32.is remote from the sterilizing medium 40, which is described below in greater detail.

ln acc ordance with the present invention, the apparatus'jlO includes an enclosure 38 having a sterilizing medium 40 therein. The interior of the enclosure 38 communicates with the interior of the container 12 via slots 42 in the container section 12 immediately adjacent the enclosure. The enclosure 38 includes a pivoted top 44 which allows access' to the interior thereof. While various types of sterilizing compounds may be employed, it is preferable to employ formaldehyde pellets.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, means are provided for controlling the size of the slots 42 through which the sterilizing medium passes. In this embodiment, such means comprises a slidable plate 46 having slots 48 corresponding in size and dimension to the slots 42 in the container section 14 adjacent the enclosure 38. (note FIG, 2). An aper ture 52 extends through the container section 14 and allows a protrusion 50 to extend therethrough. The plate 46 is held firmly against the wall of the container section 14 by clips 54. In use, the plate 46 may be moved back and forth by the extension 50, thereby controlling the amount of sterilizing gas which may enter the interior of the container 12.

The operation of the overall apparatus 10 will now be described. Initially, the enclosure 38 is filled with a sterilizing medium 40, such as formaldehyde pellets as described above, and the top 44 is closed. The extension 50 is then moved to align the slots 42, 48 and thereby allow a sterilizing gas emitted by the medium 40 to enter the interior of the container 12 and sterilize that interior and the exposed surfaces of the tissue 22. Thereafter, the tissue may be drawn through the slot 30 and dispensed, while the sterilizing medium continues to perform the sterilizing function. The ratchet and pawl arrangement prevents the tissue from rolling in the opposite direction on the shaft 20, and thereby avoid the necessity for the user to open the container 12 and rethread the tissue through the slot 30.

Other advantages and modifications to the specific embodiment shown above will be obvious to those skilled workers in the art. For example, an ultraviolet light may be installed in the container 12 to serve as the sterilizing means.

I claim:

1. Tissue sterilizing apparatus comprising:

a container for storing tissue therein, said container including two sections hingedly joined together; means for suspending a roll of tissue in said container;

an enclosure communicating with said container;

a source of a sterilizing gas within said enclosure;

means interposed between said enclosure and said container for selectively preventing entry of said gas into said container said means for preventing entry of said gas into said container comprising, said container having a plurality of slots therein; said enclosure having an opening communicating with said slots; a slidable plate positioned across said opening and having slots therein corresponding to said slots in said container so that sliding of said plate back and forth selectively causes alignment of misalignment of said slots in said container and said slots in said plate thereby respectively per- 3 4 mitting or preventing entry of said gas into said 2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said container; source comprises formaldehyde pellets.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said suspending means comprises: 5 a rotatable shaft extending through and supported by said container; a ratchet on said shaft within said container; and

means for dispensing tissue from said container, said dispensing means comprising said container having a wall portion remote from said sterilizing source, said wall portion having a slot'therem, and tissue recelvingllps extending a pawl fixed to Said Container and engaging Said mwlrdly F to wan porno at Sam Slot; ratchet to allow rotation of said shaft in only one whereby said plate slots may be moved into misin direction ahgnmem fvlth sflld container Slots to Prevent 4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 further comprising entry of said gas mto said container durlng peria removable lid on an outer side of said enclosure.

ods when said dispensing means is not in use. 

1. TISSUE STERILIZING APPARATUS COMPRISING: A CONTAINER FOR STORING TISSUE THEREIN, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING TWO SECTIONS HINGEDLY JOINED TOGETHER; MEANS FOR SUSPENDING A ROLL OF TISSUE IN SAID CONTAINER; AN ENCLOSURE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CONTAINER; A SOURCE OF A STERILIZING GAS WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE; MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID ENCLOSURE AND SAID CONTAINER FOR SELECTIVELY PREVENTING ENTRY OF SAID GAS INTO SAID CONTAINER SAID MEANS FOR PREVENTING ENTRY OF SAID GAS INTO SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A PLURALITY OF SLOTS THEREIN; SAID ENCLOSURE HAVING AN OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SLOTS; A SLIDABLE PLATE POSITIONED ACROSS SAID OPENING AND HAVING SLOTS THEREIN CORRESPONDING TO SAID SLOTS IN SAID CONTAINER SO THAT SLIDING OF SAID PLATE BACK AND FORTH SELECTIVELY CAUSES ALIGNMENT OF MIXALIGNMENT OF SAID SLOTS IN SAID CONTAINER AND SAID SLOTS IN SAID PLATE THEREBY RESPECTIVELY PERMITTING OR PREVENTING ENTRY OF SAID GAS INTO SAID CONTAINER; MEANS FOR DISPENSING TISSUE FROM SAID CONTAINER, SAID DISPENSING MEANS COMPRISING SAID CONTAINER HAVING A WALL PORTION REMOTE FROM SAID STERILIZING SOURCE, SAID WALL PORTION HAVING A SLOT THEREIN, AND TISSUE RECEIVING LIPS EXTENDING INWARDLY NORMAL TO SAID WALL PORTION AT SAID SLOT; WHEREBY SAID PLAT SLOTS MAY BE MOVED INTO MISALIGNMENT WITH SAID CONTAINER SLOTS TO PREVENT ENTRY OF SAID GAS INTO SAID CONTAINER DURING PERIODS WHEN SAID DISPENSING MEANS IS NOT IN USE.
 2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said source comprises formaldehyde pellets.
 3. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said suspending means comprises: a rotatable shaft extending through and supported by said container; a ratchet on said shaft within said container; and a pawl fixed to said container and engaging said ratchet to allow rotation of said shaft in only one direction.
 4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 further comprising a removable lid on an outer side of said enclosure. 